News-Record.com

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Dave Holland

Regarding your June 25 Monday Clipper, "The rules of the road":

By using the word "rules" several times before mentioning that these are actually "tips," you mislead the reader into thinking these are rules of law.

Also, your use of the terms "driver" and "bicyclist" are not clarified. Your statement"“while drivers have to share the road" applies to all drivers of every type of vehicle.

Some of the bicycle rules/guides/tips you posted are not the law but an incorrect interpretation of the law.

Your tip No. 1 (the law applies equally to all vehicle drivers) contradicts tips 4 and 5. The idea that a bicyclist should "give way" to a vehicle giving an audible signal is very misleading. The bicyclist isn't required to yield any more than any other vehicle. A passing vehicle is required to signal every vehicle it passes on a two-lane road, and every vehicle being overtaken is required to not impede the passing vehicle.

The N.C. Department of Transportation DMV states the correct information as follows:

"A bicyclist staying to the right in their lane is accommodating the following drivers by making it easier to see when it is safe to pass, and easier to execute the pass. Drivers wishing to pass a bicyclist may do so only when there is abundant clearance and no oncoming traffic is in the opposing lane. When passing a bicyclist, always remember the bicyclist is entitled to the use of the full lane."

Additional laws that may apply are for slow-moving vehicles. Also note that the driver of any vehicle should have a clear view of 500 feet ahead to overtake another vehicle.

For more insight into the problem of misleading information from NCDOT visit http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lawguide_critique.pdf.

Everyone needs to read, understand and obey the law. The roads are open to many legal forms of vehicular and pedestrian transportation.

The writer lives in Browns Summit.